Homeric Hymn 24, to Hestia.
Hestia,¹ who tend even king Apollon the far-shooter’s
Sacred home in most godly Pytho,²
Moist olive oil ever drips from your locks;³
Come to this house, come close in good spirit
Together with Zeus of wise counsel,⁴ and lend gracefulness to my song.
Notes
1: Greek Hestíē, the Ionic form.
2: I.e., Delphi. Hestia oversees all houses, but it is not clear why Apollon would be singled out; perhaps as patron of poetry. But see the hymn by Aristonous, where this connection is drawn in much more detail.
3: As a rich unguent or perfume.
4: Mētióeis, a common poetic epithet of Zeus.
5: That is, for the performance which is to follow. This, like many of the Homeric Hymns, is meant as the prelude for another, longer poem to be performed. In practice, the final phrase may be replaced with something more fitting.
Εἰς Ἑστίαν.
Ἑστίη, ἥ τε ἄνακτος Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκάτοιο
Πυθοῖ ἐν ἠγαθέῃ ἱερὸν δόμον ἀμφιπολεύεις,
αἰεὶ σῶν πλοκάμων ἀπολείβεται ὑγρὸν ἔλαιον·
ἔρχεο τόνδ’ ἀνὰ οἶκον, ἐπέρχεο θυμὸν ἔχουσα
σὺν Διὶ μητιόεντι· χάριν δ‘ ἅμ‘ ὄπασσον ἀοιδῇ.
SARTRIX 